Counterfeit Painkillers Cut with Deadly Opioids Are Spreading Death in U.S.

Counterfeit painkillers masked as prescription opioids are increasingly cropping up as a culprit in overdose deaths, according to a recent warning from Iowa’s law enforcement.

The fake prescription pills are often mixed with potentially fatal synthetic opioids like fentanyl, which is a painkiller roughly 30 to 50 times more powerful than pure heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa issued an advisory Thursday due to the increased threat a recent influx of counterfeit pills poses to residents, The Gazette reported.

Their advice to residents is to stay away from any pills not directly prescribed by a doctor. Officials want to raise awareness of the issue, so unsuspecting users are not deceived into taking a deadly pill.

“The opioid epidemic lowered American life expectancy in 2015 and 2016 for the first time in decades,” U.S. Attorney Peter Deegan Jr. said, according to The Gazette. “Heroin and prescription opioid abuse has taken a devastating toll on our community. But we have also seen a rise in the prevalence of counterfeit prescription pills being sold on the internet and on the street.”

Fentanyl continues to pour into the country across the border and through the mail from China. The substance is fueling more overdose deaths as drug dealers increasingly cut the substance into heroin, cocaine and pill supplies to maximize profits. (Read more from “Counterfeit Painkillers Cut with Deadly Opioids Are Spreading Death in U.S.” HERE)

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